When I finally got back to the cabin I'm sharing with Brock, he was flipping out because I was eight minutes late.

Gee.

So now I'm listening to him lecture me on why even a second may make the difference between life and death, and the consequences of tardiness. It's not like I don't get him. I do. But him grilling me about it isn't going to undo what has already been done. Still, I let him rant to get it out of his system.

By the time he's done, the ship has reached the Coumarine Port, and I'm all too eager to finally be standing on still ground. The view on the S.S. Suzanne might have been beautiful, but I vastly prefer being on land than at sea. As all the passengers debark, I catch a glimpse of Clemont's vivid blonde hair before he's obscured by the crowd.

I stretch, feeling my muscles pop, while Brock tries to flag down a cab to no avail. A gunmetal gray car pulls up next to us, and Clemont sticks his head outside the window.

"Ash! Are you going to Lumiose City?"

Brock shoots me a quizzical look.

"He's a new friend I made," I explain quickly, and turn back to Clemont. "We are going there. Why?"

"So are we. It's gonna be tough hailing a cab so why don't you carpool with us? We have plenty of space inside."

"Are you sure?" I ask, feeling gratitude swell in me.

Bonnie shoves her way past Clemont, beaming at me. "Yes, save me from my brother's boring speeches on neurons!"

"Neutrons," Clemont corrects.

"Same difference."

"They're completely different!"

"Hold on a second," Brock says, interrupting their squabbling. He gives Clemont an apologetic smile before dragging me aside.

"Are you sure we can trust this guy? How long have you known him?"

Wow. Brock is really taking paranoia to the next level. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Oh yes, because Clemont is going to murder me in his car in broad daylight with his ten-year-old sister watching!"

"It doesn't mean he can't be working for the Varyas."

I cross my arms and glare at him. He sighs.

"Fine. But if he does anything suspicious –"

"He won't."

Now it's Brock's turn to glare at me. "Because you've known him for so long, right?"

Dense as I may be sometimes, the sarcasm isn't lost on me, so I just let out an exasperated huff and stomp toward the car.

Meyer, Clemont's father, is a burly man with a scruffy beard and a friendly demeanor. His hearty laughter soon eases my bad mood, and I'm doubling over at his jokes in no time. Even Brock cracks a smile.

Time flies by and we approach Lumiose City along with the arrival of dusk.

"Where are you guys moving to again?" Meyer asks. "You're packing awfully light."

Brock replies cagily, "You can just drop us somewhere near the department store at Caille Street. We need to buy some furniture and other household items."

Meyer spares a quick glance at Brock. "Are you two brothers?"

It's no brainer that there is no way Brock can pass for my dad as he's only ten years older than me. In fact, he was younger than I am now when he was thrusted the role of my Warden and forced on an intergalactic trip while the rest of his planet, his family, his friends – all his loved ones – burned.

Brock gives him a tight smile. "I'm his legal guardian."

Meyer drops the topic, and I'm glad he doesn't ask about my parents. Or lack thereof. I don't even remember what they look like anymore, although my mother's lifeless brown eyes are engraved in my memory. Beside me, I catch Clemont and Bonnie exchanging a glance. I have to force my shoulders not to tense up. I don't need their pity.

Brock and I thank Meyer for the ride, and I wave goodbye to Clemont and Bonnie through the rolled down window as the SUV pulls away.

"Was the department store thing an excuse or do we really need to buy stuff?" I ask.

"What do you think?" Brock is already strolling through the automatic double doors.

"The latter, then."

If there's one thing Brock excels at, it's time management. Within an hour he has expertly picked out everything that we need and arranged for them to be delivered to our new house. I'm beat by the time we're done, and we still have one last stop – purchasing a second-hand car that takes a few tries before the engine feebly whirrs to life. It's a twenty-minute drive before I spot the asphalt shingle roof of my home for hopefully the next few years.

The house is two-story, completely bereft of any furniture and the air smells stale. I open all the windows while Brock looks for a place to hide my Chest. He eventually settles for under the kitchen sink. I really hope the pipe doesn't start leaking. Impenetrable though my Chest may be, the stench will still be a nightmare to get rid of.

We're the only residence around within a two-mile radius, likely intentional on Brock's part so we can train in relative seclusion without being too closed off from the rest of normal civilization.

Normal. I almost snort at that word.

Nothing about the way we live is normal. We may emulate humans, but we can never be them, no matter how much I wish for a life of normalcy.

I unpack the new items that I've brought and hang my clothes, glancing around at my empty bedroom. I already miss Pallet Town and its coziness. I collapse onto my bed and press a hand over my eyes.

First day of school starts tomorrow. I can't even recall how many times I've had to be the new kid. Sometimes I wonder about the merits of being homeschooled by Brock, but then I shudder. It'll be too stifling. Also only when I'm at school can he tend to, and I quote, his "tragically suffering libido".

Gross.

I try to find something to look forward to, and Clemont's face and his infectious smile when he's describing his inventions pop into my mind. I don't understand half the things he says, but his creations sound downright epic. I hope he introduces me to some of them.

My stomach growls, and I really miss those donuts I've left behind at Pallet Town. They're probably moldy by now. I tramp down the stairs, following the scent of something heavenly, and grin when I hit the kitchen. Brock's whipping up our dinner, and if I have to pinpoint one thing I love the most about him, it has to be his cooking skills.

The thick, creamy broth matches perfectly with toasted butter bread, making it melt in my mouth. I practically inhale the grilled salt and pepper chicken, and for the next few minutes there is only the sound of our cutlery clanking.

"Let's get our cover story straight," Brock begins the moment I put down my fork. "After your parents died four years ago in a car accident, I became your legal guardian. I used to be your next-door neighbor and watched you grow up. We moved here because I'm writing a book on the history of Kalos."

"Shounds greaf," I mumble around a thick piece of meat.

"Also, I think it's time for you to learn more about your Inheritance."

I brighten. "Rweafly?!"

He nods. "I'll incorporate it into your regular training."

I've waited literally years for Brock to deem me ready to learn about the contents of my Chest. Though I guess with the prospect of the Varyas looming above us, he doesn't really have a choice. One of us may die at any time. The thought sombers me.

"The only thing I'm worried about is your Oracles. I didn't want to stress you before, but Orric children usually develop their first Oracle when they start puberty."

And you're already sixteen, is what his concerned eyes say.

My hand tightens around the fork. I swallow the meat, and gulp down water to wash it down.

"I'll work harder on it."

"I'm not pressuring you, Ash. I'm starting to think that maybe it's the way I've been training you… Perhaps I've been going about it the wrong way…"

"It's not your fault," I say firmly. "You've always told me that our Oracles are gifts from Orra. It'll manifest when it's meant to."

I sound more confident than I feel.

And no matter how much I complain about his mother-henning tendencies, I won't change Brock as my Warden for the world.

The next day comes far too soon. If not for Brock banging on my door loud enough to wake the dead, I would have overslept. Shoving my hands through the sleeves of my shirt, I comb back my disheveled black hair and grab my backpack. On my way out, I grab the two slices of toast that Brock has made and stuff them into my mouth.

"I'm forgetting something… Ah, socks!"

I dash back into the house for them and put them on in the car, jamming my toes into the defiant material that just refuses to accommodate my feet. In the end, my toe tears a hole through my left sock.

Brock shakes his head, an amused smile tugging on his lips.

Lumiose High comes into view, and it's definitely more elite than any other school I've been to. The exterior is all slick gray and pale beige, and a flag of the school depicting a prism with a beam of light curving through it flaps in the wind. Students mill around in small groups, all engaged in their own conversations.

Brock drops me off, and I make my way in, wide-eyed and jaw dropped. There are actual statues erected throughout the front entrance with plaques of important-sounding names on them, and the hedges are intricately carved into shapes of animals. There's even a water fountain with a sculpture of some ancient goddess at its center.

Forget about a new school; this is more like a whole new world.

"Ash!"

I whirl around, glad to see a familiar face.

"Hey Clemont…?" I trail off when I notice him huffing and puffing. He ran like… ten feet to reach me?

"Sorry… I'm…" He catches his breath. "Kind of unathletic. As you can see."

"You more than make up for it with your brain, though."

Clemont flashes me a smile. "What homeroom are you in?"

I dig through my bag, taking out the crumpled piece of paper that has all my academic information written on it and passed it to him.

Clemont whoops. "We're in the same homeroom!"

Seriously? My mouth slowly breaks into a wide grin.

His gaze sweeps down my timetable. "And I'm in most of your classes." His nose wrinkles. "You're taking Applied Nutrition? Who takes that?"

"Me, apparently. I heard that it was an easy course," I say, shrugging.

We make our way to our homeroom, slipping inside seconds before the bell rings. The room is already full, and students glance up from whatever they're doing when I enter. My eyes sweep across the room, stopping on a girl with sandy brown hair and blue eyes. Eyes that are now blinking at me frantically, like a deer caught in the headlights.

My brows crease.

The door slams open and I jump as a short, stout man in his late fifties enter. "Settle down, everyone." He must be Mr. Henry, my homeroom teacher, and I feel my energy draining from my body just by hearing his monotonous voice. The seat behind Clemont is empty, so that's where I situate myself.

"Today, we have a new transfer student. Come up and introduce yourself… Whoever you are."

I stroll up to the front of the class and muster a smile. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Mauville City… Uh, Lumiose City now, I guess."

"And how have you found Lumiose High so far?"

"The school's really, um, nice. I especially like the, uh… hedges," I finish lamely.

"Hedges," Mr. Henry repeats. Someone snickers.

"Well, that was a lovely introduction." He can't sound more insincere than that. "I hope you have a great time here." Scratch that, he can.

"Now return to your seat." He turns to face the rest of the class. "I want you all to introduce yourselves to Kash right here."

Kash? I suppress a groan.

My classmates do so unenthusiastically, mostly mumbling their names, and amidst the sea of bored faces, the only one that stands out to me is the tortilla-haired girl from earlier, who introduces herself as Serena Reynolds. Her eyes dart to me and then away again nervously. It's making me nervous.

But then the bell rings again, signaling the end of homeroom, and Serena dashes out of the room before I can try to call out to her. I'm not even sure what I would have said, though she didn't even give me the opportunity to approach her.

I stare after her in confusion.

What's up with her strange reaction toward me?

A/N:

Thanks for the favorites/follows and reviews!

And yay, Serena enters the scene. I hope you all like this chapter and please review!

Edit: My traffic graph has been registering zero views since the day I uploaded this story. Anyone else experiencing a similar issue? :(